Wound badges

Yes, welcome to the forum! And congratulations on your excellent wound badges.

Here's mine to share.

My gold cut-out wound badge has the pin and catch removed. It was nailed on to a plaque at one time, apparently. My oldest friend bought it for me in the Czech Republic when he lived there for 17 years and found many great items doing motel room buys in dozens of towns throughout the country over that time period, and finding things at all the markets as well. It was a real treasure trove there for many years after the velvet revolution. I was fortunate to experience it for a year, and still found some great items late in the game.

It's very hard to find an original cut out Gold Wound Badge, because there is an endless supply of fake ones out there on the market at any given time.

Best Wishes,

Alan


101_7138.JPG
 
Alan:

Nice display of wound badges. Like most of us I've picked up several of these over the years. I can't say I know a lot about them.

What's your understanding as to why the "cutout" versions exist? Were they private purchase items or artistic license on the part of suppliers?
 
Hi Steve and Matthew,

The cutout wound badges were private purchase items. They were commercially made this way, and sold privately by the medals and orders shops to any wound badge recipient who wanted a fancier looking badge, and had the means to pay for one like this.

Best Wishes,

Alan
 
ww1czechlegion said:
Hi Steve and Matthew,

The cutout wound badges were private purchase items. They were commercially made this way, and sold privately by the medals and orders shops to any wound badge recipient who wanted a fancier looking badge, and had the means to pay for one like this.

Best Wishes,

Alan
Click to expand...
Thanks Wild Turkey for posting your collection of wound badges.
They represent a lot of pain to be had.
If I were in the service this would be one reward that I would not like to earn.
Along with the Purple Heart !

Thanks Alan for answering my question.
Were they stamped out this way or did the medal manufacturer cut the backgrounds out ?
 
pickelhauben said:
Thanks Wild Turkey for posting your collection of wound badges.
They represent a lot of pain to be had.
If I were in the service this would be one reward that I would not like to earn.
Along with the Purple Heart !

Thanks Alan for answering my question.
Were they stamped out this way or did the medal manufacturer cut the backgrounds out ?
Click to expand...
Hi there, they were die struck as cut outs. I’m unaware of any examples where someone took a regular wound badge and cut out the fields, but it’s not beyond the realm of possibility.

It is of note that the vast majority of wound badges, and all cut outs (to my knowledge) were 1920’s and 30’s produced. The wound badge wasn’t designed and instituted until well into 1918, and wartime made examples are incredibly hard to find.

The third Reich also made imperial wound badges, and many of these are maker marked with third Reich era marks.
 
Mild_Turkey said:
Hi there, they were die struck as cut outs. I’m unaware of any examples where someone took a regular wound badge and cut out the fields, but it’s not beyond the realm of possibility.

It is of note that the vast majority of wound badges, and all cut outs (to my knowledge) were 1920’s and 30’s produced. The wound badge wasn’t designed and instituted until well into 1918, and wartime made examples are incredibly hard to find.

The third Reich also made imperial wound badges, and many of these are maker marked with third Reich era marks.
Click to expand...
Alan:

Thanks for taking the time to enlighten us.

I assume that you would identify a wartime made example by the makers mark because there were only X number of makers approved as of 1918?
 
Steve Nick said:
Alan:

Thanks for taking the time to enlighten us.

I assume that you would identify a wartime made example by the makers mark because there were only X number of makers approved as of 1918?
Click to expand...
There’s a term called “Hohlverbodet” which essentially refers to solid back wound badges (99% of imperial wound badges are hallow) and there are specific variants of the Hohlverbodet that were known to have been made prior to 1919. Though how to identify it is outside the realm of my wound badge knowledge.

As to the maker marks, I know that Juncker made wound badges during the war, but that’s about it.
 
Mild_Turkey said:
There’s a term called “Hohlverbodet” which essentially refers to solid back wound badges (99% of imperial wound badges are hallow) and there are specific variants of the Hohlverbodet that were known to have been made prior to 1919. Though how to identify it is outside the realm of my wound badge knowledge.

As to the maker marks, I know that Juncker made wound badges during the war, but that’s about it.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that information. It expands on my understanding.

I have all three grades of the Army badge and the black version of the Marine badge. The Kaiserlichemarine versions in silver or gold seem to be very hard to find.
 
Steve Nick said:
Thanks for that information. It expands on my understanding.

I have all three grades of the Army badge and the black version of the Marine badge. The Kaiserlichemarine versions in silver or gold seem to be very hard to find.
Click to expand...
No problem. And that is true, now try finding all three grades of the navy wound badge, AND their cut out versions. That would take us years to do. It’s on my list though
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top